DC 47 on Nutter's Orwellian 'Raise' for Non-union Employees

AFSCME District Council 47 deplores the Mayor’s cuts in wages and benefits for non-represented City employees.

“What the Mayor is imposing, like a thief in the night, and solely at his whim, is a pay and benefit cut for the vast majority of city employees,” stated AFSCME District Council 47 President Cathy Scott. “For some it is a massive pay cut.

“It is not something we would negotiate. It is not something we would accept.

“Shame on the Mayor for doing this to 5 ,000 hard working employees who have already gone four years without a pay increase.

“His statement today that this ‘Package links raises and benefit reforms” is neither a raise nor a reform.

“It is a pay cut, pure and simple” added Scott

She explained that the 2.5 percent salary increase is greatly offset by the lost pay and benefits included in the package.

The Mayor’s imposition of the ability to furlough workers for 15 days amounts to a 6 percent pay CUT.

The demand that employees contribute a new 1.5 percent of pay in pension contributions is a 1.5 percent pay CUT.

Greatly increased out-of-pocket medical payments of up to $1,200/annually are a $1,200 pay CUT.

“Changes in overtime is a pay CUT and may lead to reduced services to at-risk children.

“The attempted unilateral increased payments and reduced benefits for pension benefits for some employees is of questionable legality under Pennsylvania law and will not stand,” Scott said.

“We will explore and employ every legal avenue to ensure that members of AFSCME Local 2186 are protected against this pension benefit grab by Nutter.

“This whole ‘package’ is a deceit. And, it proves that the Nutter Inaugural promise of fair payments and contracts for City employees was a fraud.

“You can’t claim to help employees by putting $2.50 in the worker’s right pocket while stealing $10.00 from their left pocket.

“The Mayor should be embarrassed that this deceit and the harm he and he alone, so proudly imposes on his loyal employees will be his legacy.

“There’s nothing in this package that any worker anywhere in America would wish for,” concluded Scott.